Celebrating 70 Years of Artistic Excellence in Townsville
Date published: 11 September 2025
Townsville’s vibrant arts community will take centre stage this week as the 70th Townsville Art Society Awards marks a major milestone in the region’s cultural history.
Acting Mayor Ann-Maree Greaney said since its inception in 1955, the annual awards have provided a platform for emerging and established artists across North Queensland to showcase their creativity and talent.
“Over the years we have seen artists of all abilities take part in the awards, many of which have consistently returned over the years,” Cr Greaney said.
“This year’s exhibition continues that proud tradition, featuring a diverse range of works that reflect the depth and resilience of the local arts scene.
“To see more than 140 pieces of artwork adorning the gallery for Townsville Art Society’s 70th Art Awards is truly very special, and Council is an extremely proud supporter.”
Townsville Art Society President Marisa Battaglini said the awards, judged this year by Brisbane-based Robert Heather, exemplified the arts and culture community of North Queensland.
“This is a big year for the Townsville Art Society – we are a not-for-profit organisation with more than 100 members and for many of us, me included, art means everything and is truly our passion,” she said.
“It’s going to be a huge opening night and art awards ceremony this Friday, and then our exhibition will continue to run over the next nine weeks.
“We are so excited to host this celebration, with our largest number of entries from 59 different North Queensland artists, for the 70th year of the Awards.”
Townsville Art Society Member, and Awards prize-winning artist twice over, Anne Foskett said she had entered a particularly meaningful oil painting into this year’s Awards.
“I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma cancer, which is a cancer of the plasma cells, a number of years ago … I had to go through lots of tests, chemotherapy, hair falling out and all the things that happen when you have cancer, as well as a stem cell transplant,” she said.
“This year’s painting is of my haematologist, who works as a consultant at the hospital.
“I wanted to capture the interesting doctor-patient relationship, as you get to know each other very well throughout the process of having and being treated for cancer.”
Councillor Greaney said Council’s support of the Awards was part of its investment into arts, culture, and events
“Council is proud to support these awards and to host them once again at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery,” Cr Greaney said.
“The exhibition not only celebrates artistic excellence but also encourages connection, inspiration and growth among local artists – and that itself is worth our investment.”
The exhibition officially opens at 6pm this Friday, with the Judge’s Talk with Robert Heather scheduled for 10:30am Saturday, offering visitors insight into the judging process and the stories behind the winning works.
Entry to Perc Tucker Regional Gallery is free, and the exhibition will run until 16 November.
For more information on opening hours and current exhibitions, visit What’s On Townsville.
